Wings in Alabama

Chapter 3

I cringed and bit my lip. I felt my teeth begin to break skin, so I clasped my free hand behind my back and grasped my arm. My fingernails pinched my forearm and a red mark appeared. I stood outside on the porch, barely inside. We stood there in silence, me and my mother, till I saw a brown ponytail poke out from behind Mom's tattered blue pajama bottoms.

"You little rat," I screeched. "You told on Mom cause I wouldn't help you pack!"

Emily gasped and backed up. "I did not, Rylee, I sw-"

"- you can make all the excuses you want, I know you did -"

"- not do it," Mom broke our fight. "I am not as clueless, stupid, idiotic - should I continue?"

My mouth dropped. Yes, I had called my mom that stuff before, but I'd never said it to her face. I actually thought it, cause I was too scared to say it to her face (how lame is that, really?). "Anyway, you, young lady are grounded."

"For going shopping?" My eyebrows raised in confusion.

"For sneaking out and going shopping, and for using Mrs. Fowler's money!" She took her red leather and fake sapphire studded wallet from a small table next to the door. "And if you act smart with me, I'll add another week. How much do I owe her?"

"None. This is my money, I paid for them." I protectively clutched the shopping bags in my right hand. My left hand stopped pinching my arm and took a bag with make-up inside. "Now can I please come in?"

Mom rolled her eyes and put the wallet up. She stepped aside and pulled me in. As soon as the door was shut, I scampered up to my room, my tennis-shoes banging on the wooden steps.

Back in my room, I shut the door behind me and sighed. I did a large face-palm when I saw my bed was still wet. Not as damp as it was before I left, but still a bit wet.

After hanging up my clothes and stripping my bedsheets for new ones, I flopped into a fuzzy bean-bag chair. I pulled my laptop over and finished editing my video president project for social studies, something that Stephenie and I had created with two other girls. Sadly, the other two had bailed to see something on ice skates, so Steph and I had to do it all.

My door softly opened and Mom stepped in. She eyed my bed, now a silver mattress with a few dry throw pillows on it. She put a hand to her forehead and shook her head. "No laptop, no IPad, no phone, and no TV. Three weeks."

I groaned and shut the laptop, controlling myself not to throw it at her. I sat the laptop on the carpet next to my bed. "I'm guessing this is my punishment?"

"And I'll only let you bring one of the three to Alabama with you, but I'll be monitoring you."

"Fine," I muttered. I handed her the laptop and IPad. I cringed as she took the phone from the palm of my hand. "Remember to charge them!"

Mom rolled her eyes. I crossed my arms and slumped in the bean-bag chair, making me look a lot like an overgrown toddler pitching a really lame fit. Mom cracked a smile, probably at how I was acting, and left. I groaned louder, only to be replied by a louder groan from my mom.

Then the little twerp came in (if you don't know, it's Emily). She poked her head in at first and giggled when she saw my bed. I rolled my eyes. "What'd you tell her for?"

"Look, I didn't tell, okay," Em crossed her arms on her chest. "Like Momma said, she figured it out."

"How?"

"Well, I told her you were at a neighbor's house, then she called Mrs. Fowler, and she said that you, Stephenie, Sarah, and one of Sarah's friends were at the mall."

"So technically, she didn't?"

"Nope. She just likes to brag about herself." My sister and I both cracked smiles and laughed.

So, so, so, sooooooooooo sorry it's so short. More be coming!